Falling Skies News Flash!

We interrupt our regularly scheduled blog post of "A More Perfect Union Part Two" to bring you an important announcement.  The people at Falling Skies have alerted the media to the addition of three new cast members!

Pictured above is Doug Jones known for his roles in "Pans Labyrinth" (as Pan) and "The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" (as the Surfer himself).

 

 Jones will be portraying the new alien addition to the series which means this new kid on the block will actually have some acting to do.  I'm sure the new creature will be endowed with some personality now that a live actor like Jones will embody him and he won't be a strictly a CGI character.

Another addition to the cast for season three will be actor Robert Sean Leonard.  Leonard is best known for his work on TV's "House".  He will be portraying the "Rat King" AKA, Dr. Roger Kadar Phd.  Kadar sounds like a bit of a recluse as he lives with his pet rats as he operates the electrical grid for Charleston.  So the bad news here is that our hardy bunch of survivors will be stuck in Charleston S.C. for the foresseable future.  I'd rather see them is Charlestown if you follow me.

Lastly, the radiant Gloria Reuben will also be reunited with fellow ER alum Noah Wylie.  Reuben will portray Estelle Lasher and aide of sorts to Tom Mason.  Lasher will be known for her political and historical savvy.  Does this mean Tom will be running for office in Charleston after all?  How will this effect his relationship with Anne Glass?

"A More Perfect Union" Part One.

 We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

For a beginning let's start at the end.

When I say the end I am referring to the stunning conclusion to the season 2 finale of Falling Skies.  A new alien species has arrived (something I've been hoping for) and with this ending we have a new beginning.  But before I get too far let's take a look at this ending in the context of the this episode's title, "A More Perfect Union". 

There are two meanings to the episode title, (something that was drawn from the preamble to the Constitution), firstly, there is the literate meaning to to the phrase, "A More Perfect Union".  Our founding fathers realized that the idea of founding a more perfect union meant that it was an ongoing process.  That is why on the reverse side of the dollar bill we see the incomplete pyramid seal "Announcing (the) Concept" of a "Secular New Order".  In Roman numerals at the base of the unfinished and ongoing pyramid is the year 1776 when it all began.

Much of the inspiration of Falling Skies has been drawn from the American Revolutionary War.  The ragtag unit of the 2nd Mass mirrors the Minutemen that originally stood against tyranny and oppression.  Their struggle laid the foundation towards a more perfect union and the 2nd Mass has followed in their footsteps in rebuilding what or forefathers had wrought.  In fact, I would say it is their sacred mission.  The tyranny is the same only the faces have changed.

So is there a second meaning to, "A More Perfect Union"?  With the timely intervention of "Red Eye" and his rebel group of Skitters the 2nd Mass has destroyed the Overlord's "Super Gun" and apparently allowed the arrival of a new species of alien.  So does "A More Perfect Union" announce the alliance of this new species with the remnants of Earths population?  TNT flashed on the screen "Ally or Enemy" as the episode concluded.  With Red Eye out of the picture and the Skitters severely damaged the "Union" may well be a partnership between the new arrivals and we "Earthlings".  Will it be "more perfect'?  Or will this obviously superior race become our new masters?

The new alien did show his face (her face?) as he disembarked from his vessel and he held up no weapon despite being drawn upon by the 2nd Mass and the Continental Army.  We can construe from this that he means us no harm as these are universal peaceful gestures.  So the "More Perfect Union" could refer to the saving grace of this alien arrival.  I posited in my blog post. "An Overture From The Overlords" that the Overlords weren't the biggest fish in the pond.  That they were actually on the run from a bigger fish and their work on Earth was incomplete and hurried.  I was hoping that their incomplete victory was due to the fact that they were being pursued and whatever was chasing them wasn't far behind.  That "Whatever" is here now.

Are these new aliens a galactic police force looking to apprehend the Overlords for their interstellar crimes?  Or are they a rival gang looking to usurp their opponents gains?  Just because they seemingly come in peace doesn't mean that peace will last.  The "Union" could be just a convenient alliance until the Overlords, or the "Espheni" as we learned from Ben/Red Eye, are defeated and there is a new "Sheriff" in town. 

I'd love the "Cosmic Police Force" angle.  These new aliens seem to have come in force but the "Super Gun" only covered the eastern portion of North America so that may mean they need Earth's help before they they can develop their bridgehead to what is our Battleground Earth.  If they are a rival "space gang" the alliance will be a tenuous one until either the new aliens get what they want and leave or Tom Mason and his fellow earthlings will have a new enemy to fight.  If there is to be a fourth season of Falling Skies the safe money would be on the latter.

 I'd like to draw attention to one of the final scenes as the alien pod craft descended.  By the way,  I say, "pod craft" as it held only one alien so it stands to reason there is a mother ship in orbit around Earth that dropped all these single seater pods to Earth (I hope we get to to that "mother" next season!) (Are these new guys so bad ass they only need to land one at a time?)

Take a look to the right portion of the above screen cap. We see an American flag as graffiti painted on a concrete wall.  The words, "United We Stand" are partially revealed on the flag.  Do these words portend the arrival of the space cops and the new alliance or just "fighting words" in the context of the original invasion?  Also note the field of blue of our flag.  Normally, it contains stars representative of our Union's states.  Instead we find here alien "heads" possibly meant to depict our overthrow or perhaps a failed alliance between the Overlords and Earth.  The "failure" meaning Earth was duped by the Overlords and Earth accepted a Trojan Horse from the Overlords which allowed their easy victory.  The alien heads as stars could be a parody of our new government replacing our failed old one due to their naivete.

It's not the first time we've seen iconic imagery from America's past similarly transfigured.  The above picture from season one shows the "Uncle Sam, I Want You For The U.S. Army"  poster painted on a wall.  Was this a form of protest, as graffiti normally is, to show how Earth was duped and America usurped by the Overlords and we have to answer to a new master and due his bidding? Was the artist making fun of this new/old alliance?

So, with the inclusion of the flag graffiti with the alien heads as stars at the end of this episode, was it meant to tell us that we are to be duped again and as the "The Who" once sang meet the "new boss same as the old boss"?

"A More Perfect Union"  Have the "police" arrived?  A rival space gang? How perfect will this new union be? Join me in my search for answrs!


Next up on "Battlin' Boston".

• Karen's "prophetic" warning.
• Hal's embrace with Ben.
• Anne's pregnancy.
• The Skitter alliance broken?
• What was that sound?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

The High Cost of "Greatness". Our Foundering Fathers?

From the get go I wondered if Falling Skies was going to pursue some sort of political allegory in their most recent episode, "The Price of Greatness".  After all, the special guest star, Terry O'Quinn, played former Boston College chair of the History department, Arthur Manchester, (whose name harkens to the mythological King of England and the renowned historian William Manchester who wrote "American Caesar" the story of General Douglas McArthur.)  This would peg him from the liberal Northeast and with his keen sense for history, lend him a unique perspective of founding a new democracy.  His character even wrote a book, "From Darkness: Democracy".

In opposition to this perspective we'd have the military wing that was champing at the bit for a fight and headquartered in the conservative South but felt helpless because they weren't in a position of power.  Quite similar to the conservative Republican party of today that is waiting in the wings for their chance to take over the reigns of power.

Political or social allegory is a common device for the writers of science fiction.  The great champion of which was the original Star Trek and to a degree followed by "The Next Generation".  This was not to be for this episode of Falling Skies.  Perhaps the writers flirted with it tangentially but not to any great degree as evidenced by Manchester's despotic pursuit of power.  It seems the this fictional author had forgotten the lessons of the Revolutionary War. The Continental Congress went to great lengths to share power and worked tirelessly to form a representative government that eventually produced a Bill of Rights and the Articles of Confederation.  For its part, the military, led by George Washington, eschewed politics and completely trusted the Congress despite its difficulty in levying taxes and begging the states/colonies for soldiers that often returned to their farms.  Too bad General Bressler didn't follow the example of Washington, who was a rock star of sorts for his period and upon assuming the Presidency wanted nothing to do with a lifetime monarchy and stepped down after two terms.  Instead Bressler declared martial law.

Two men not worthy of the status of "Founding Fathers" to this new democracy. 

Perhaps this is why Tom Mason was thrust unceremoniously into the role of leadership once Pope declared that Tom had landed them squarely in the middle of a coup.  Surely this isn't something wanted for his friend Manchester (despite not backing him) or himself as he looked positively aghast once Bressler told him his little alliance with the Skitters better work.  (Are the Skitter taking the role of the French?)  I'll credit for General Bressler for that much.  The original Continental army never ran from a fight although they were soundly beaten more than once.   I'm sure poor Tom is all for the proper political process but not at the point of a gun.  There is no doubt he must feel entirely responsible for these events.  There is an old saying, "Some people are destined for greatness, others have it thrust upon them".  Tom had greatness thrust upon him and the price was the democratic process.

Is there added cost?  The Army is spoiling for a fight as is the 2nd Mass but even the Revolutionary War army had its Valley Forge where they were allowed to rest and refit.  Is this new fighting force truly ready and can the Skitters be completely trusted.  I wonder if the Skitters have a religious fervor that might run counter to the Humans ideals.  Maybe the Skitters will remind them about the lesson of "One Nation Under God."

Other observations.

• Best line of the night goes to Pope for wishing his opposite number "to the cornfield" from the classic Twilight Zone episode "It's A Good Life".  Someone's done their homework.
• Always good to see Tom and Anne share a bed.  They are so mature and comfortable with each other despite the chaos around them.
• Hal owning up to his "Teenage silence".  Maggie called him out, Hal had a speech ready, it worked and now they have each others back again.  Hey, that's mature also!
• Anybody else wonder how Tom and the 2nd Mass' reputation preceded them?  It can't be all from the aviator Churchill?  Where is she by the way?
• The Skitter "Red Eye" has followed Tom and his group to Charleston, have the Skitters been followed also?  That would lead to a climatic cliff hanger.  Before Washington had his victory at Yorktown he also had his battle at Brandywine Creek and it was pretty much a disaster.

I hope everyone is ready or the cost could be even greater.

What is the Price of Greatness?

Mild spoilers ensue.

Tonight is the penultimate episode of the second season Of Falling Skies.  It's been titled "The Price of Greatness".  Pictured above is a familiar face especially to those that followed the TV show "Lost".  Terry O'Quinn will appear in the last two episodes of Falling Skies and with this addition let's hope the stakes are raised for our hardy band of survivors.

O'Quinn apparently plays an authority figure of sorts in the surviving underground US government.  He also seems to have ties with Tom Mason judging from some of the internet spoilers that have been circulating.  A former mentor?  Perhaps an academic superior or even a former professor of Tom's?  If so, this figure could exert a certain amount of influence on Tom.

So what would the price of greatness be for Tom?  It seems Tom's reputation has preceded him as they enter Charleston.  Will his former mentor thrust greatness upon Tom in the form of an exalted leadership position in the underground government?  Will he have to sacrifice his time to his sons with new responsibilities?  Looking at the picture above, Tom has been asked to speak for the 2nd Mass and to the collected survivors of the collective resistance.  Note the backdrop to Tom, excerpts from the Constitution or Declaration of Independence?  I actually hope its from the Gettysburg Address, that way Lincoln's phrase from that passage, "the last full measure of devotion" would resonate more clearly as it refers to those that died for the cause to preserve the Union.  This scenario also serves to illuminate some of my suspicions of the new government in Charleston.

If we take a look at the promo picture above we see the Southern United States in the background to O'Quinn.  We already know the new seat of government is in Charleston which also happened to be the birthplace of the American Civil War.  (It also reflects where the war has moved to much like it did in the American Revolutionary War.)  If you read my last post you are familiar with this information.  I also noted the introduction of the skitter character of "Tyler" who was a US president that was sympathetic to the Southern cause and actually served in the Confederate congress.  

With these tie ins can we suppose that the "price of greatness" is to join a US government that is complicit with the Overlord invasion?  Are they to betray the basic tenets of the Union and compromise their ideals much like the Confederacy did.?  Does this new government owe their refit and reconstitution to the world's new masters?  So why hide underground?  Well, if they do owe the Overlords with their resurgence if could be because as the proxies of the Overlords they would be extremely unpopular with any survivors especially if they act as a human police force or army with semi-autonomous power as long as they keep the rest of the resistance groups in line.

Would Falling Skies as a TV show be willing to go to this extreme?  I'd love to see it but it would be a gutsy leap.  Humanity has a long history of collaboration.  See Vichy France, the Holocuast and those who serve with the US Army during the American Indian Wars.

Another scenario would be that this government is working with the Skitter resistance.   This would be fun also.  It would paint the new US government in a better light and would be in keeping with our collective American mythology of fighting the oppressors and joining forced with those that are similarly oppressed.  As a "Mason" Tom would naturally fit in as one of the new founding fathers and help form a new goverment representative of the people.  Unless, of course, this new government is much less than representative and that is the "price" Tom has to pay is to join a government that doesn't truly reflect his ideals.

Whatever the latest iteration of the US government is, it looks as though Captain Weaver is on board.  In the above picture he is sporting a brand new uniform of the military.  Tom however as Weaver's number two is still in his civvies.  Was he not invited to join the fighting forces despite his fighting for the resistance?  Or is the "price" Tom has to pay is quitting the armed faction and joining the civilian government?  This would be more in line with the way Falling Skies is written.  Safely.

Whatever Tom's decision is, to quit the military faction and or join the new government, there are people that still look up to him.  Maybe the cost will be too high and the 2nd Mass will decide to leave Charleston if it doesn't fit in with the way they feel.  We may even see the civilian faction break away and the military unit stay behind.  There are only two episodes left and since we are getting a third season I suspect another cliffhanger is in order.  They have their work ahead of them if they can top last years.

So there you have it, what is the "price of greatness"?

Death March?

When I read the title of the last episode of "Falling Skies" was going to be "Death March" I had visions of historical references to the Bataan Death March that U.S. servicemen had to endure at the hands of the brutal Japanese Army in World War II.  Or, perhaps we would get a reference to the Trail of Tears that American Indians were forced to undergo and remains one of the darkest moments in American history.

In doing so I believed we would bear witness to the near death of the 2nd Mass as they struggled to reach Charleston and the excruciating torture they would encounter at the hands of the Overlords along the way.  This was not to be.  Unless, of course, you count the tragic radiator hose break that Hal, Maggie and Pope suffered as they blazed the way south.

So what did I miss?

Why call an episode "Death March", a term with such grievous historical significance, if the worst thing that happened was the aforementioned hose leak or the death of some anonymous poor soul from dehydration.  (Hmmm, an engine bereft of water and a human in the same condition, no that can't be it!)

I don't mean to deviate from the actual events of "Death March" but I thought the title so compelling that there must have been more to it.  Apparently I am mistaken.

So let's get to some of the events of Death March and the things we learned fro it.

There was a promotional Facebook post touting Maggie's big reveal and what did everyone think of it?  I saw the post but didn't read it not wanting to spoil the episode that I had scheduled to watch Monday night.  To tell you the truth I thought she was going to come out as a murderer.  Especially after watching the episode unfold and Pope taunt her with the "truth".  As it turns out she had fallen into despair after her bout with cancer, taken to drugs and drifting and experienced an unwanted (?) pregnancy.  While sad this is hardly Earth shattering.  Did Pope and Maggie think this tale of woe would doom any relationship with Hal?  Is Hal so naive that a woman that ran with Pope's armed thugs would be chaste?  At the very least he should have reached out to her upon hearing this revelation despite the fact that it was a lot to take in.  Maggie's problems are pretty miniscule when taken in context with 90% of the Earth's population being wiped out.  Aren't these people battle hardened yet?

Let's deal with another reveal of sorts and that is the introduction of the character, Jenny.   Tector (how's that for a great name? "Tector" is also a class of Star Destroyer from the Star Wars movies. I wonder if his parents were big fans?) gave her a good thump when she jaywalked in front of the convoy.  Being part skitter makes you pretty tough and it wasn't long before she was on her feet and asking questions.  And she had a lot of questions!  Isn't there and old saying if something smells like you know what it must be "you know what."  Weaver caved once again and it wasn't long before Jenny started pumping Matt for information.  Didn't they learn anything from Karen?  How naive are these people?  I would have screamed, "She's a spy!" at the TV if I didn't know how dense these people are already.

At least Jenny had some information of her own to spill and it provided us with more insight into the background of the skitters.  She refers to them as "Guardians" and the harnessed kids the Guardians care for refer to themselves as family with each being brothers or sisters.  Additionally the skitter that cared for Jenny's brood was a female, so at least you don't lose your sexuality once undergo full skitter conversion. I wonder if the male skitters are hunter gatherers and they rely on that primeval structure in order to survive or bend to the will of the Guardians?

Jenny's "brother" was named "Tyler" which made me think of the tenth president of the United States and who was also sympathetic to the Southern cause prior to the Civil War.  Tyler also served in the Confederate congress and with the 2nd Mass heading towards Charleston South Carolina where the Civil War began I thought the historic symmetry and symbolism looked rather gloomy for Boston's best.  (More on this in a future post.)

This being a science fiction show I also thought that the character of "Jenny" may have been a nod to the character "Jenny Hayden" of "Starman" renown.  Anyone else see that movie?  The Starman played by Jeff Bridges responded to the invitation recorded on Voyager 2.  I wonder if Earth accidentally beckoned to the Overlords.  The military did seem to be taken off guard in what little evidence we learned from season one.  We'll have to keep an eye on this to see if Earth dropped the ball and brought doom upon themselves by inviting the Overlords here and then had their welcome betrayed.

The last revelation of Death March was that Charleston wasn't a burnt out cinder after all.  Psych!  Either ending to this episode had to be a bit cliche.  We either get the "march for nothing" or we get "Kidding!"  "Charleston's alive and well underground."  Both are derivative of the way Battlestar Galactica ended.  So what is the other shoe that has yet to drop?  As we approach the Death Star that is Charleston all I can think is,  "I have a bad feeling about this." 

Next up, how bad can it be and what is the price of greatness?